Employment

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that state and local governments added an estimated 39,000 jobs in February 2023, with most of the gains driven by the local government education category. Revisions to previous months' reports added approximately 54,000 state and 18,000 local government jobs to the running total. 

Since peaking in February 2020, state and local governments have shed nearly 409,000 jobs, or approximately 2.04 percent of their total.

The BLS identifies approximately 19.6 million employees of state and local government as of February 2023. Local governments, which include most school districts, account for nearly three-quarters of total state and local employment, with state governments accounting for around one-quarter of the total. Overall, state and local employment accounts for approximately 13 percent of the nation's workforce.

The private sector added an estimated 265,000 jobs in February 2023.

The charts below present the relative changes in state and local government and private sector employment since 2007.

Monthly changes in state and local government
and private sector employment, 2007-2023

Monthly changes in state and local government employment, 2007-2023

Compiled by NASRA based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data is sourced from the BLS Current Employment Statistics program, which is a monthly survey of households, businesses, and governments measuring employment, hours, and earnings estimates. The CES survey reference period is the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month. Data are published on a preliminary basis and revised twice before being finalized. 

See more: https://www.bls.gov/ces/